Pensioners seek verification

NO fewer than 4000 Cross River State pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS), have urged the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to verify them to enable them get their benefits.

According to the pensioners, the call became imperative after waiting for years on PTAD to conduct the verification and capture them in the system for payment.

They said it was disheartening for PTAD to say it won’t pay unverified pensioners.

The Secretary, Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Calabar, Elder Fymefate Ogolo, told The Nation that some pensioners have not been paid pension and gratuity since they retired 16 years ago.

He said PTAD was in Calabar last year to verify the police, immigration and prisons pensioners and promised to return to verify federal pensioners with state pension share.

They promised to come to Cross River and Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states last January, he said, noting that up till now, they have not come.

PTAD, he said, directed those who had not been paid pensions and gratuities to fill complaint forms.This Ogolo said,they had done and sent to Abuja, adding that so far, there has not been any response from the directorate.

He said: “Some pensioners have not received federal pension share since 1999 and we have been sending forms to PTAD, but there is no word or assurance that these forms are being processed and this has made our people to be worried. From time to time we call for a general meeting to pacify our people. At present, we want to know when they are coming for documentation in the Southsouth states, including Cross River because our people believe that after the documentation they will be paid.

“They came to Calabar, verified the Prisons, Immigration and Police and it is supposed to be the turn of state pensioners with federal share, but up till now, they have not done anything and the year is coming to an end. The question the pensioners are asking is: when are they coming to verify the state pensioners with federal share in Southsouth? Many of us are getting older and can no longer come out,’’ he said.